I MARRIED WITH THE STRANGER

There's a small party happening at my friend Kassie's house because it's her birthday today. I've had a lot to drink and my vision is starting to spin because my alcohol tolerance is low. My eyelids are getting heavy because I'm getting sleepy. Maybe I'm already drunk.

I glanced at the clock on the wall, it's already eleven. It's late, I need to go home because my mom might be worried about me.

"Kassie, I'm leaving. It's late," I said my goodbyes. I also bid farewell to my other friends who were there.

"Alright, take care," Kassie replied, giving me a kiss on the cheek before escorting me to the gate of their house.

I didn't take a tricycle because it's already late. There are many crazies out there these days, I might end up in a bad situation.

I walked towards my house, it's only a few kilometers away from Kassie's place. It's quite a distance, but it's walkable. The road is dark because the streetlights are off, I can only see a few that are still lit. The wind is cold too. I hugged my arms to my body to ward off the chill.

There's no one around. I was about to cross the street when I heard a loud dog howl. It barked at me again and again. I got scared, so I quickly walked in a different direction, but the dog ran after me.

Its tail was up, and its sharp teeth were showing. I ran as fast as I could because I was afraid of getting bitten. I just kept running. I glanced back while still running and I was somewhat far from it. But the dog was still chasing me. I kept on running until I reached a dark place, a place that was unfamiliar to me.

I stopped running when I couldn't figure out where I was. I looked around, there were no houses and no lights nearby, only the moonlight giving me some visibility. I walked around to try and find my way back to where I came from. As I walked, I passed by a small church with a high gate in front. I went back to where I came from earlier, it seemed like I was getting even further away. But it turns out my return was futile because once again my feet led me to the front of the church.

I was supposed to go back to where I came from when I suddenly felt the urge to pee. What the heck?! Just when there's no bathroom, I feel the need to go. Ugh, where can I pee now? In the grass? Gross, what if an ant bites me down there.

Before the crazy ideas in my head could run wild, I looked for a place where I could relieve myself. I approached the tall gate of the church, it was open so I went in. As soon as I entered, fear gripped me because it was dark. What if there's a ghost? What if the tree is actually a kapre, and it suddenly touches me when I pee underneath it. But I really need to go. I have to be brave because I might end up peeing in my pants, and that's even more disgusting. And there's probably no evil being here. It's a church, not a horror house. God is here, not Shomba.

I walked towards the front of the church. I was about to go inside but the door was closed and I couldn't open it. I really had to pee so I quickly ran to the back of the church. When I got there, I saw a lot of tombstones.

Oh my God! Hell!

I shuddered, but I still didn't pay attention to it because I was more concerned about peeing in my pants.

I really had to go, so I disregarded the fear I was feeling. I ran quickly towards the shade of a tree and hastily pulled down my pants. I sighed with relief when I finally let out the pee I had been holding. Thank goodness no ant bit me. Hehe.

I stood up and zipped up my pants.

The surroundings of the church were illuminated by the light from the full moon. The moon looks bigger today compared to normal, maybe it's closer to Earth now. The strong wind blew again.

It's so cold.

I once again scanned my surroundings. There are so many tombstones; there's actually a cemetery here behind the church.

Oh no! There might be ghosts here. Oh my God, I need to get out of here before I encounter scary beings!

I headed towards the gate to leave, but when I got there, it was already closed. I was overcome with intense fear. It was just open a while ago, but now it's closed, and there's a chain and a big padlock hanging on it.

W-wait, why is it closed now? Did someone close it? D-don't tell me there's someone else here. And why is it closed? What will they do, why did they close it? Strange thoughts started filling my head. Calm down, Rica, you're getting too paranoid.

I took my cell phone from my pocket and dialed my mom's number. I waited for her to answer from the other line, but the call wouldn't connect. I heard footsteps getting closer to me.

Oh no, why is there no signal now?!

I pressed the phone to my ear and pretended to talk to my mom.

"Hello, Mommy, I can't see you. Where are you?" I thought that if the person approaching me heard me talking to my mom on the phone, they might think she's outside the church waiting for me, and they wouldn't try to harm me.

I looked around, it was getting foggy. The whole area was covered in thick fog, so even right in front of me, I couldn't see clearly. As I glanced through the dense fog, I saw a dark figure of a man who seemed to be coming closer. Will he not stop coming closer to me? I just waited for whoever it was to emerge from the fog. Maybe this person is kind, maybe I'm just being overly paranoid.

As he approached, I smelled an incredibly foul odor. Like a dead rat, a sewer, spoiled food... just extremely foul!

He was right in front of me and finally emerged from the thick fog, so I could see the image of the man-a living corpse! His skin was rotting, one eye was being consumed by maggots, and on the other side, there was no eye. He was turning black, and all of his nails were gone. Plus, the skin on his face was peeling, so I could see the flesh!

I screamed in terror. "Waaah! Zombie, zombie! There's a zombie!" I ran as fast as I could in any direction. I didn't look where I was going, I just kept running. Because of the thick fog, I couldn't see where I was going, and I collided with another zombie.

"Where are you going?" it asked in a terrifyingly loud voice.

I screamed loudly out of shock. I quickly picked up a stick. "Don't come near me!" I pointed the stick at it.

"Hey, he's got a stick. How scary..." the cheeky zombie said sarcastically.

Soon, the zombie I saw earlier arrived too. They whispered to each other and laughed loudly at me.

"Don't come near me! I'll hit you!" I threatened them.

"Wow, we're so scared of your little stick," the mischievous zombie retorted. "Come on, let's get her," it invited its companion.

They slowly approached me.

"Waaaaah! I told you not to come near!" I waved the stick in front of them. "Stay away!"

Suddenly, one of them sprinted towards me. "Bwahaha! We're here!"

I ran as fast as I could. I couldn't see where I was going because of the thick fog, so I crashed into a tombstone. I fell down and my head hit something hard. I felt dizzy. I don't know what happened after that.

I woke up. My head felt extremely heavy, I was so dizzy. I touched my forehead as I tried to get up from where I was lying down. I felt the part of my head where it hurt the most. It was swollen.

Oh my goodness, I think I have a bump. And there's a really strong, foul smell. What is that?! It smells like poop!

"I think she's awake," I heard someone whisper.

I turned to where the voice came from to see who spoke. It was the zombie from earlier. It was standing beside me, accompanied by other zombies. That's why it smelled rotten. It extended a hand towards me. I didn't accept it because it was gross, not to mention, it stank.

I looked around. I was inside a dark room, illuminated only by the moon. The only thing in the room was the small bed I had been lying on earlier. There was also a large mirror on the side. I faced it to see myself. I was startled to find that I was no longer wearing a striped shirt and pants. I was now in an elegant white wedding dress. I looked like a princess in my reflection.

"W-wait! Who changed my clothes?! I demanded, addressing all the undead in the room. "Don't tell me you undressed me while I was asleep! I'll sue you!"

The zombie in front of me grinned lewdly. It was disgusting, its teeth looked like a broken fence and it was rotten.

It was about to grab my arm, so I moved away. "Don't touch me! You're disgusting, you stink! Oh, my God."

The expressions on the faces of all the zombies turned angry. I must have hurt their feelings because they really did smell bad. They slowly approached me, causing me to scream in fear.

Suddenly, the door swung open. From the door, an aristocratic-looking woman walked towards me. "Miss, don't be afraid of them, they won't hurt you," she said.

The woman was beautiful. She was wearing a corset dress and her curly hair was neatly arranged, giving her the appearance of an aristocrat. She didn't look like a reanimated corpse like the zombies with me. She didn't smell either. She seemed like a normal person.

"Hey, are you sure about that? They might suddenly attack me," I replied nervously. I sat next to the woman and whispered behind her. "Are you sure they won't hurt me? Look at that nasty zombie, it's been bullying me since earlier!"

The woman looked at the zombie I pointed out with disdain. "Don't worry, Miss, they're just playing with you. Come with me before they change their minds and decide to eat you." She grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the room.

I heard the ringing of bells. I had a strange feeling about this woman, so I abruptly withdrew my hand from hers and hurried towards the nearest window. As I stepped outside, I saw many people. They were all dressed formally. I wondered if it was a Halloween party. Maybe there was just a Halloween party, which is why there were zombies. But that's impossible; it's only August now, and the zombies from earlier were genuinely horrifying. The thick fog that had covered everything earlier was gone. I could now see clearly. It was bright due to the beautiful lights, as if there was a grand celebration happening.

I saw the woman passing by the window. She had difficulty getting out because of the size of her petticoat. Soon, her feet touched the ground, so I ran to hide. I secretly moved towards the gate, avoiding the people around me. I was by the gate, about to leave. Yes! I was free! Wuh!

My joy turned to disappointment when I realized that the woman was also there. W-wait? How did she get here so quickly? She held my arm tightly, almost breaking my bones. As we entered the church, there were seated figures, all dressed formally in rows of chairs.

There was a black carpet in the aisle. At the end of it was a white wooden arch surrounded by wilted plants. Everyone was just quietly staring at me, their faces expressionless. It seemed like they were all lifeless.

"W-what is this?" I asked with a trembling voice. I couldn't understand what was happening at this moment, but I knew it wasn't good. I was scared, I wanted to leave. I wanted to run away.

The woman gave me an apologetic smile. "Miss, please forgive me. I was just following orders," she said before she pulled me towards the front where a dead priest and a man with his back turned to me stood.

I didn't know what the woman was asking forgiveness for, but I could feel that something bad was about to happen.

I'm scared. "L-Let go of me! I'm leaving!" my voice trembled in a scream.

I forcefully pulled my hand away from the woman, but it was the dead priest who held onto me. I screamed loudly out of fear and disgust. The priest violently dragged me towards the side of the man with his back turned to me. I continued to scream, but it fell on deaf ears inside the dimly lit church, they just watched in silence.

I was frozen with fear, standing in place. My knees were trembling, feeling like I could collapse at any moment. When the priest noticed that I was no longer resisting, he let go of me. He gestured, and from somewhere, a haunting wedding music began to play.

The priest conversed with the man, so his attention shifted away from me. I was about to try to run again, but I stopped when the man, who had been facing away, turned to look at me. Everyone in the church stood up and bowed in unison to show respect to the man.

I looked at the man's face.

He's beautiful...

I felt my jaw drop as I stared at him.

This man is incredibly handsome.

The kind of handsome that could make you stare in awe even with a dead priest in front of you. He's tall, with neatly arranged hair. There were a few strands falling on his cheek that only added to his charm. His eyes were blue. They were what caught my attention amidst all the fear I had just experienced.

"I have her," he said to the priest.

He has me?

But his skin hasn't even touched mine yet, not even a bit. What does he mean? I don't understand.

The priest nodded in response to the man's words. I remained dazed and rooted to my spot. The man's form in front of me was perfect. The features of his face were just right. I continued to gaze into the stranger's blue eyes. They were so beautiful, I felt like I never wanted to look away. He took my hand and gently squeezed it. I wanted to pull my hand back, but for some unknown reason, I couldn't. It's like something in my mind was telling me to just let everything happen. But I didn't want this, I didn't want to do what my mind was dictating.

"Don't resist," a voice whispered in my mind. Where did that voice come from?

I tried to scream. "Let go of me." But instead of a scream, only a faint whisper came out of my lips.

"It's not possible, you're mine and I am yours. I promise to make you happy," the man said emphatically.

"Be quiet!" I shouted loudly. My voice suddenly grew strong, and I almost shook the church.

Again, I heard a voice in my mind. "Don't raise your voice, my love. Don't embarrass yourself." The man in front of me had a sly grin on his lips.

Could it be... he's the one speaking in my mind?

He gently held my hands, trying to give me comfort.

The priest closed the book. "You may now kiss her," he announced.

Wh-what?

The man embraced me, then wrapped his arms around my waist to pull me closer.

He leaned down.

He kissed me on the lips. He was gently kissing me and then tightened his embrace and buried his head in my neck.

"This will be painful, my love. Forgive me," he said in a gentle tone.

I suddenly felt a sharp fang sinking into my neck.

Casper

I am lying comfortably on my bed. It feels so good to sleep. My bed is so soft, my pillow is so soft. It feels like I'm sleeping on a cloud. But my blissful sleep was abruptly interrupted by my noisy alarm clock.

"Kriiiiiiiiiing!" the sound effect of the alarm clock blared. This darn alarm clock, always disturbing me!

I lazily got up from my bed and smacked my alarm clock on the side table to shut it off. I heard a crack, but I didn't see what it was because my eyes were still closed. Geez, I'm still so sleepy.

I wiped the back of my hand against my mouth to see if I drooled. Sometimes I fall asleep with my mouth open. This time, there was none. I got up and faced the mirror to check for any eye boogers. I grabbed a hairbrush and combed through my hair before glancing at the wall clock.

"Oh, shet!" I exclaimed when I saw that I was late.

I probably had too much to drink last night. Wait, how did I even get home? I can't remember. But it's okay, the important thing is that I made it home. It's a good thing the stinky zombies were just a dream, but the hot guy was a missed opportunity.

Tsk.

I quickly took a shower. Due to the rush, I only had a little to eat. Then I left the house and looked for a tricycle to take me to school. The sky was dark, and it was drizzling a bit.

When I arrived at school, I hurried down the hallway towards my classroom. I could see my classmates in a commotion, which meant we didn't have a teacher yet. I spotted Reina in the distance. She was just walking towards the classroom, apparently even later than me.

I breathed a sigh of relief. It's a good thing we don't have a teacher today. I might get suspended if I get another late card.

I placed my bag on my chair and sat beside Kassie. She was busy texting, and my other friends were occupied with their own things, so I had no one to talk to. They were all busy, so what else could I do? Well, as usual, I'll just sit here and space out.

"Hey! Ma'am's coming," announced our class president. "Fix your seats!"

My classmates quieted down. They all returned to their seats. After a moment, our teacher entered the room. He was followed by a handsome guy who, in my opinion, was not much older than my classmates.

The guy had golden brown hair, and his eyes were blue. He seemed familiar to me. Maybe I saw him before. On TV, perhaps? Probably, he looks like a celebrity.

"Kassie." I nudged my best friend. "Check out the guy up front, he's hot."

Kassie looked up. "Oh friend, he's really handsome!" she said with a smile. Her eyes sparkled like stars, and she even had her mouth open.

He's just so jaw-droppingly handsome.

The teacher stood at the front of the class. "Class, I have an announcement. This is Casper." Our teacher pointed to the guy. "He will be your new classmate," he announced. "Casper, please introduce yourself to your new classmates."

The guy opened his mouth and began to introduce himself. "Good morning, everyone," he greeted everyone. "My name is Casper Friedrichsen. I'm an exchange student from England. I'm not fluent in speaking your native language. I hope you will help me."

This guy is so breathtakingly handsome.

Almost all the girls in the classroom had their mouths open in awe of his handsomeness. Literally, we were all just gaping. Who wouldn't gape when a god descended from the heavens? Just looking at him, he's already a feast, yummy!

Our eyes met with Casper. He flashed a smile. I was still gaping at him, staring at his handsome face. I only realized after we had been looking at each other for quite some time, that he was smiling because I was gawking at him. I quickly looked away in embarrassment. But maybe he'll think there's something weird going on if I keep looking at him, so I turned my gaze back to him. But his smile was gone, and he wasn't looking at me anymore. He was talking to our teacher.

I let out a sigh. I feel like such a daydreamer. Why was I smiling at this handsome Casper when we're not even close?

Psh, I'm really delusional.

Our teacher asked Casper where he'd like to sit, and to my surprise, he chose the empty seat next to me.

Wait! Where will I put my bag now that he's sitting here?

Some of my female classmates protested. They each said that he should sit next to them instead. I, on the other hand, remained quiet. I didn't want to lose my bag space, so I just spaced out again.

My daydreaming lasted as long as my classmates' debate. I looked at my black shoes, which had a bit of dust on them. Tiny white dots appeared on my black shoes.

Hehe, how cute.

I feel someone sit beside me. I'm still smiling as I turn to see who it is, but my smile fades when I see him.

"Hi," Casper greets with a smile.

My bag's spot! I just glance at him and then avert my gaze.

I didn't know how to answer. He just said 'hi', and I could have greeted him back. But it would be too late if I answered after a few minutes. He's looking in another direction, so I take the opportunity to look at his handsome face. He's from England. He has golden brown hair and blue eyes. In short, he's a foreigner. Why did it only occur to me now?

He notices me looking at him, so he smiles before facing me. Once again, I avert my gaze. I open my notebook and pretend to read the lecture.

Casper leans in closer. "Hi," he greets again.

"Uhm, h-hi...?" I say nervously, and it almost sounds like a question.

"My name is Casper, may I know yours?"

"Rica," I reply shortly. I don't want to prolong the conversation because I'm not comfortable talking to him in English. He might notice my incorrect grammar and embarrass me.

"You're avoiding my eyes, I noticed. May I know why?"

He's right, I am avoiding them. It feels like I'm getting an electric shock whenever our eyes meet.

"What's the problem?" Casper asks again. "Am I making you feel uncomfortable?"

I don't know how to answer. Yes, it's true, I'm not comfortable. I don't want to tell him the truth because he might think something else. And he's new, so I should be nice to him. Right?

I tilt my head. "No, I'm just-" How do I continue? "I don't know how to explain it," I say.

"Why, don't you want me to be your seatmate? Sorry, I didn't know that you don't want me to sit next to you. I can move to another place if you want."

"What's wrong with me? My life is so difficult right now, I'm getting a nosebleed," I mutter to myself. "Do you know how to speak Tagalog? I don't speak English very well. My nose is already bleeding." I scratch my head. "You know, I'm having a nosebleed, runny nose, clogged nose. Please speak Tagalog."

He chuckles softly. "Runny nose and clogged nose?" he repeats what I said.

"Yeah," I reply again.

I feel so much lighter talking to him, as if I've known him for a long time.

~

It's time to go home, so I'm outside waiting for my ride. The sky is still overcast, and the drizzle hasn't stopped. Why is it like this? The radio said earlier that it's sunny. That broadcaster is really unreliable.

Kassie comes up to me. "Kuya Lito texted," she says before handing me my phone, which she borrowed earlier.

I read the text from my ride. "I'm here outside the gate, where are you?" I reply to him with a brief message.

"Rica, I'm leaving," Kassie says. She kisses my cheek before walking away. "Take care!" she adds before she completely leaves.

Casper comes up to me next. "Hi, Rica, what are you doing?" he asks.

"I'm texting my boyfriend." I grab my bag because I'm heading towards the gate.

I'm about to leave, but Casper stops me by grabbing my arm.

"You have a boyfriend?" he asks with a puzzled look.

Oh, my God. It looks like my nose is about to go into battle again.

"Hey, you said you have a boyfriend," he says again.

I'm about to respond, but Casper pulls me towards the entrance gate of our campus. I see Lito waiting. He's our neighbor, and my mom asked him to pick me up from school. Lito is already old, but it seems that Casper took my word that I have a boyfriend seriously, and he put it on Lito.

"He's your boyfriend?!" Casper asks loudly, making sure Lito hears him. "He looks old. Do you like old guys?" he adds. "He's not that handsome like me. I wonder what you saw in him."

I pull him to a spot where Lito can't hear him. "You idiot, Casper. Don't be so loud! Lito might have heard you earlier!"

"Do you like him?" he asks seriously.

"No!" I respond firmly.

"What?! Don't tell me you love that guy!"

W-what? Why is this guy like this? I couldn't answer right away because I'm still trying to figure out what's wrong with this dude.

Sadness appears in his eyes. He seems upset, but why?

"Of course I don't love him..."

Suddenly, his eyes light up. He was back to his usual self. "Really?"

"Really, I don't. And he is not my boyfriend, he is just my ride," I explain.

"Ride?" Casper asks, confused.

Uh-oh. What's the English word for 'sundo' (someone who picks you up)?

"Uhm, he is my... uh... he is my..." I can't say it directly. "You know, he fetches me in the afternoon. And he... he-" What's the English word for 'hatid'? Oh well, let's just go for it! He delivers me. Yeah! He delivers me here to school every morning."

"He delivers you?"

"Yes, like Jollibee delivery?"

Casper sighs and nods. Then his lips flash a gorgeous smile. My knees almost turn to jelly. Why is this guy so incredibly handsome?

"What are you s-smiling about?" I avert my gaze from him. "Look, Casper, it's getting late. So, I want to go home immediately. I'm hungry, you know. Very, very hungry..."

Truth is, I've been starving since a while ago. My thirst is just as strong. I ate a lot for lunch, but I'm still so hungry.

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot." Casper takes his bag from his back. He opens it and pulls out a black bottle. "Drink this," he instructs. He puts a straw in the bottle and lets me sip from it.

I take a sip, and holy cow, it's so delicious! It's so good that it feels like I downed it all in one gulp. Because the bottle is black, I have no idea what I just drank.

"Casper, I finished your drink. What is this? It is very yummy."

"I'm glad that you drank all of it. I'll tell you what it is tomorrow," he says. "Go home now. We'll talk again tomorrow."

He puts the bottle back in his bag and walks away. I watch him go. It's like a sudden wave of sadness washes over me when he disappears from my side. He turns back to where I am, something I didn't expect. He comes back and takes out a handkerchief to wipe my mouth.

I'm puzzled by what he's doing, so I give him a questioning look.

"You have something on your lips," he says while looking at my lips.

I automatically wipe the back of my hand against my lips. "It's nothing," I whisper.

He doesn't respond. He just gazes at my lips. It looks like he's about to kiss me, or maybe that's just my imagination. Suddenly, my heart beats faster.

"Never mind, I'm going." He walks away again.

Psh. I'm such a drama queen. What am I thinking, imagining that Casper is going to kiss me? What's happening to me? I've only just met him.

I woke up in a very dark room. Where am I? I stood up from where I was lying down. Because it was so dark, I couldn't see anything around me and I bumped into something-or rather, someone. I screamed in surprise.

"Calm down," said a familiar voice. Shortly after, there was a bit of light. It came from a small candle on the side.

With a little light, I could make out the person speaking, it was Casper.

"W-wait, where am I? And why do you speak Tagalog now?"

"Don't worry, my love. I won't harm you. I accidentally bumped into you," he said, lifting me and bringing me back to the bed.

"W-wait, is this really Casper? Why can he speak Tagalog?"

"It's been days since our union, but we haven't been able to be close," he continued.

"What?! Stay away from me. You're the man from hell, right? The man from the church!" I said, realizing who he was.

"You're not mistaken, my love. That's me. But my memory recalls seeing you in the cemetery behind the church, not in hell." He sat beside me on the bed. I moved away a bit, but he pulled me closer.

"Who are you?"

"I believe you know my name, my love," he said, embracing my hands. After he spoke.

If he isn't Casper, then who is he? I broke free from his embrace. "Stop calling me 'my love!'"

He was surprised by my action. "Forgive me, my love. I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to hold you as my wife."

"What, your wife?" I asked, confused. "Are you talking about me?"

"Yes, you, my love. I've waited for years for us to meet again. And now that we have, I won't let you go."

I was confused by his words. "Are you okay, mister? Are you on drugs or drunk?"

He smiled at me, and I was amazed. "May I kiss you, my love? I want to taste your sweet lips again."

I remembered the kiss he gave me back in the church. It was just a dream, and I didn't remember much about it, but I was sure he had kissed me. The idea of our lips meeting sent shivers down my spine. I got off the bed and rushed towards the door. But the stranger was quick, and before I could get far, he lifted me back onto the bed. I struggled to ask for help.

"Stop, my love. No one will come to help you. Don't worry, nothing will happen to you as long as I'm by your side."

Instead of feeling safe, I felt even more scared. What was this man going to do to me? Would he assault me and then kill me afterwards?

"Calm down, my love," he said in a soothing voice. "I won't harm you or kill you."

Could he read my mind? "Wh-what are you g-going to do to me?" I asked in a trembling voice.

"I just want to be with you."

I don't know why, but I calmed down when he said he just wanted to be with me. The fear I felt seemed to disappear. I allowed him to hug me. Until I slowly felt drowsy and fell asleep beside him.

---

*Alarm ringing!* My alarm clock's sound effect echoed again, waking me up.

Dang it, I'm still sleepy.

I turned it off and went back to sleep.

I knew it, it was just another dream. Thank goodness it was just a dream. I thought it was real.

"My love, wake up," a voice said.

Who is that? I looked around the room, but there was no one else except me. I even checked under my bed, but there was no one there.

"Wake up, my love, you're going to be late for your class."

Hello! Where is that voice coming from? No way, is there a ghost in my room?

I jolted upright and pulled my blanket up for protection. "Wh-who are you? Where are you? Ghost, show yourself!" I commanded the air.

I heard a man's laughter. "My love, I'm not a ghost," the voice said. I was starting to get scared, so I covered myself even more with the blanket. "Don't be scared, my love. I just wanted to wake you up so you wouldn't be late for your class."

I screamed in fear. I covered my ears with my hands. I thought it was just a dream. Why is this happening? Why am I hearing his voice in real life too?!

"Kyaaaaah!" I pinched myself really hard to wake myself up, and I did.

The door to my room opened and I saw Mommy enter. "Rica! What's wrong with you, screaming so early in the morning! You're such a child, it's already noon and you're not even out of bed yet! Hurry up and get ready!"

I ran towards Mommy and hugged her tightly. "Mommy! Mommy, I hear a voice!" I complained. "Mommy, I don't want to, I'm scared!"

"What?" she asked, not believing me. "Just stop it. Rica, you're already grown up, so act like it."

"But Mommy, I'm really scared!"

"Well, what do you want? Do you want me to go with you to shower?"

I threw my blanket back onto my bed. "I said I'll shower, whispered to myself. I went to the bathroom to wash up. I looked at myself in the mirror first to see if I had any eye boogers. I saw one, so I wiped it off. When I raised my hand, I saw a golden ring on one of my fingers.

Wait, when did I get a gold ring? Is this a joke? I tried to take the ring off, but I couldn't, it seemed too tight.

"My love, please don't take off the ring symbolizing our love."

"You again! Stop talking to me, I feel like I'm going crazy! And now I'm even talking back to you! Damn this love!" I struggled to remove the ring, causing it to heat up and tighten even more. I almost cried from the pain.

"Please, my love, don't take off that ring from your finger. Don't make me angry, I don't want us to have a misunderstanding," he said in a pleading tone.

Despite his words, I still tried to take off the ring, and it heated up even more and tightened further. It felt like my skin was burning under the ring, and I ended up kneeling on the bathroom floor, crying.

"My love, stop it now. Whatever you do, you won't be able to remove that ring. Forgive me." I didn't listen to what he was saying. I just sat quietly on the bathroom floor. "My love, I know you're shocked by everything that's happening. I know it's hard to accept, but I believe that one day you'll understand everything."

What did I get myself into? I'm only seventeen years old. I'm not even of legal age to get married, but here I am now. Married to a man I don't even know.